The north wind was biting and the cold air was imminent. Fan Zeng was walking swaying on a rugged mountain road in Guangwu Mountain. Although the war horse under his crotch was so vile, he was no longer a 70-year-old man who was following him. The two personal soldiers who were following him shrank their necks so cold that they shook their necks, and their eyes searched everywhere to find a place to shelter. Fan Zeng was not aware of anything. His ears were also echoed with the spirit of the first time when he defected to Xiang Liang; the sound of the soldiers sending each other with tears in their eyes. The sound was solemn and deep, and it was a bit sad. Fan Zeng couldn't cry and laugh. After a long time, the depression in his chest turned into a sigh and vomited out.

"Find a place to take the lee!" The old voice was like a cold bamboo in the wind!

At this time, the three of them came to an intersection. Fan Zeng felt confused for the first time in his life: "Where are you going?" He felt like he was rootless and groundless like duckweed in the wind.

A sudden sound of horse hooves came from behind him. Fan Zeng thought, Could it be that Xiang Yu was going to chase me? When he looked back, a fast horse came from the darkness in the morning. He immediately sat upright with a mighty general, with a helmet and a long sword on his ribs, but it was Zhonglimei.

Zhonglimei immediately dragged his bag and came to Fan Zeng, turning over and dismounting, kneeling in front of Fan Zeng's horse: "Father Ya" didn't finish his words, tears flowed: "Father Ya, I really can't stand Xiang Yu's suspicion, let me go with you! Wherever you go, I will protect you, support you, and be your biological son."

Fan Zeng was supported by someone and jumped off the horse. He looked at Zhong Limei's aggrieved eyes and said, "Zhong Limei, being honest is the basis for dealing with people. Being upright is not afraid of slander, and being upright is not tolerated by villains. I know that your character is mixed for a while, but you will be fair in the future. If you leave with me now, wouldn't you let Xiang Yu and the soldiers of Western Chu really think we have unknown activities? Didn't it really disappoint the soldiers of the Great Chu? We both rebel against Chu and Qin, who would still gallop for the battlefield for Chu State! Although I am old, for Chu State, if Xiang Yu had not driven me away, I would still stay in the army and serve Da Chu State. How I want to watch Da Chu unified the world! Zhong Limei has martial arts, and you can still charge forward, kill the enemy, and make meritorious service for Chu State. You cannot leave. I am old and useless, I should go home." Fan Zeng couldn't help but cry.

Zhong Limei begged repeatedly, but Fan Zeng refused to agree. There was no way. Zhong Limei had to return the same way and walked back step by step. Fan Zeng looked at Zhong Limei's depressed figure on the war horse and couldn't help but pity himself: "I'm really old!" Somehow, he suddenly remembered that Zhao general Lian Po came from the Warring States Period.

"It's really old!" Fan Zeng repeated, with a circle of bitter smiles on his face, a circle of sorrow and anger.

From beginning to end, Fan Zeng believed that the tyrannical Qin would be completely eliminated. Qin II had committed many crimes and was extremely guilty, so it was not an exaggeration to kill a hundred times. He felt that Xiang Yu was a real Chu man and a descendant of a real bear. He wanted to do his best to help Xiang Yu unify the world, but Xiang Yu was kind and cruel. He was extremely powerful, brave, and was poor in wisdom. He was self-righteous and insisted on doing his own thing, but he did not end up doing good. He had to do something day and night to make great efforts to make a big move for the sake of the great Chu country, but his kindness was not rewarded. In the end, he was only charged with affair.

The more Fan Zeng thought about it, the more he became, the more sad he felt, the more sad he felt. The more he thought about it, the more he felt. He couldn't sleep and eat all the way back to Juchao, and couldn't sleep at night, and his heart always felt like a stone as big as a millstone.

Half a month passed, Fan Zeng was getting thinner day by day, and unknowingly got sick. He was like a burning heat on his body. At first it was a pain in his chest, cold all over his body, and weak limbs. Later, he felt a pain in his spine like a snake bite, and it was like a needle pricking on his heart. Fan Zeng became more and more depressed and felt that his life was not long.

On this day, Fan Zeng came to an ancient temple. The ancient temple was very broken, and the courtyard wall had collapsed nearly half. One of the three gray tiled houses collapsed to the left. The courtyard was covered with weeds, thorns were knee-breaking, and a huge bronze bell was submerged among the weeds.

It was late at night, and the road ahead was vast and there was nowhere to stay. Fan Zeng ordered the two followers to settle in this dilapidated temple. The cold wind was miserable, and they penetrated the wooden windows and made a sound of cranes. The dilapidated tables, chairs and Buddha niches in the house squeaked, and dust rose and fell, making three people look dirty. The two personal soldiers took out the iron pot and started to cook. Unexpectedly, the rice was not yet cooked, and suddenly, a monk walked out of the room on the side.

The Taoist priest wore a Bagua Taoist robe, a black and gold Taoist crown, holding a half-black and half-white whisk in his hands, stepped on straw sandals with his feet, stroked his long beard three times, and laughed out loud before he could speak. He walked to the fire like a whirlwind, and flew the whisk to destroy the flame at the bottom of the pot.

When the two personal soldiers saw a mad Taoist suddenly appeared, they were furious and rolled up their sleeves and were about to take action. However, Fan Zeng realized that this Taoist was very difficult. What did they do in the dilapidated temple in the middle of the night?

"This Taoist priest, I don't know why we bumped into you there. Why did you put out our fire?" Fan Zeng treated him with courtesy.

The Taoist priest laughed and said, "I don't want you to cause fire, so I put it out." Fan Zeng shook his whole body; "What do you mean?"

The Taoist priest pointed behind Fan Zeng and said, "You can see it yourself!" Fan Zeng frowned and looked back. He didn't know when the wind blew a little spark to the Buddha's niche, and lit the thatch that was pounced on the ground. At this time, the two personal soldiers rushed over and put it out. Fan Zeng's suspicion became even worse. "How did the Taoist priest run to the wilderness in the middle of the night?"

The Taoist priest stroked his beard and smiled, "I came here specifically for you." Fan Zeng immediately became alert, withdrew his long sword from his waist and said sternly, "Who are you?" The Taoist priest shook his head and said, "Sir, don't do this, I'm not here to harm you, I'm here to save you."

"I'm just talking nonsense, I need you to save it."

The Taoist said mysteriously, "You have doubts in your heart, so I will give you some advice. Do you want to know why you ended like this today?" Fan Zeng sneered and inserted his sword back into the scabbard: "I don't know." The Taoist said word by word; "It's all your fault, you've been wrong from the beginning."

Fan Zeng thought to himself that this Taoist priest must be a lobbyist of Qin. I want to hear what he said. Fan Zeng sat upright on the ground, beside the extinguished fire: "Then please tell me specifically, I did something wrong there." The Taoist priest sat down opposite Fan Zeng, and said slowly. "You shouldn't rebel, causing trouble for the creatures, and the heavens are angry and resentful, and there are millions of casualties. God is sending disasters to punish you."

Fan Zeng suddenly wanted to debate with him. He was thinking about the words that the Taoist priest said these days, whether he came out to help Chu State, right? Will he regret it if he ended up like this? The answer is that he does not regret it.

"The tyrannical Qin raged the world, and the people were living in poverty. I came out of the mountain to help Wu Xinjun, Emperor Yi promote his troops to fight against tyranny. This is to follow the will of heaven. How could God punish me? It should reward me!"

The Taoist priest smiled and said, "The righteous soldiers? The righteous soldiers? It is the 'discipline soldiers' in my opinion. The original intention of the old man to come out to raise an army was indeed good, but things went against their wishes, and the development of things was not as you imagined. Originally, a vigorous anti-Qin war finally became a shield for the restoration of the descendants of the six countries. These people were fighting for power and wealth, and there was a little meaning to save the people. Besides, the people in the world had starved to death and were killed in battles over the years. If this battle continued like this, there would be no 'people'."

Fan Zeng also knew this; "So, I want to help the King of Western Chu quickly attack Guanzhong and end this chaotic world and give the people a peaceful world."

The Taoist priest laughed even harder, and suddenly his face turned stern: "Do you know what kind of fire I just put out?" Fan Zeng said in surprise; "It's my cooking fire!"

The Taoist shook his head vigorously and sighed, "I am extinguishing the fire in the 800-mile Qinchuan! It is the fire in the Afang Palace! It is also the fire in the tomb of Mount Li and all the Qin Dynasty palaces! If Xiang Yu enters the pass, the fire will inevitably burn in Xianyang City. Not only Xianyang, but I am afraid that the entire Guanzhong will be trapped in the dire straits and hot swords. The people of Qin are also humans and people, and they cannot die innocently!"

Fan Zeng didn't say anything, and it seemed that there was a vast sea of ​​fire in front of him. Xianyang City collapsed in the sea of ​​fire, and countless civilians died in despair.

"The Taoist priest meant that I, Fan Zeng, surrendered to Qin and eliminate Xiang Yu!" Fan Zengjue's Taoist priest was ridiculous.

The Taoist said, "I know that the old man cannot surrender to Qin, and I don't have such inappropriate thoughts. I just can't bear to see the old man loyal and fall into a wilderness. The old man and I will go back to Xianyang with me!"

Fan Zeng asked curiously, "Who is the Taoist priest?" The Taoist priest nodded; "Who is Wang Ao, the first teacher Wei Liaozi!" Fan Zeng seemed to have guessed Wang Ao's identity, and was not surprised at all, but just smiled bitterly; "I, Fan Zeng, one day, will rely on the tyrant Qin to rescue him. However, Mr. Wang Ao, you are still in vain. I, Fan Zengsheng, are from Chu, and die from Chu. Unless my great Chu soldiers arrive, I will never step into the land of tyrant Qin. I have received your kindness, please go back. By the way, I will ask you for someone-"

Wang Ao said disappointedly, "Please say it old sir."

A trace of unseen expression flashed in Fan Zeng's eyes; "Is Yu Ji still alive?" Wang Ao didn't expect that Fan Zeng was still thinking about this little girl at this time, and said lightly; "Alive, but-"

Fan Zeng said nervously, "But what?" Wang Ao said; "However, because of the poisoning, he was blind, and the king hired famous doctors in Guanzhong, but there was no cure."

Fan Zeng let out a long sigh; "It's good to be alive, it's good to be alive. I thought that some antidotes here were asked from Xiang Yu. I thought it was useless, but I didn't expect to meet the Taoist priest today." Fan Zeng reached into his sleeve with his right hand, took out a purple jade porcelain bottle, and handed it to Wang Ao.

"I have always regarded Yu Ji as my biological daughter. The Taoist priest must deliver this medicine to her hands. I will die in peace."

Of course, Wang Ao would not refuse. He knew that this bottle of medicine might be more important than Fan Zeng in the mind of the King of Qin. He hurriedly took it in his hand and said in a deep voice, "The old man really won't leave with me."

Fan Zeng shook his head and said, "Please, if Fan Zeng is not dead, you and I will see you again in the future, and he must be on the battlefield." Seeing that Wang Ao could not persuade him, he couldn't say anything else. He put the porcelain bottle in his arms and walked out of the ruined temple. There were already more than a dozen cavalrymen coming to pick him up outside the temple, and Wang Ao got on the war horse and headed south.

Since talking with the Prime Minister of Qin Wang Ao, Fan Zeng's body has become worse and worse. He has a poisonous sore behind him, which is getting bigger and bigger, and the pain is getting more and more heart-wrenching. Originally, the journey from five to six days to Pengcheng has not arrived for seven days. On the eighth night, there were still hundreds of miles away from Pengcheng. The three of them stayed in a village. Fan Zeng felt vaguely that he could not reach Pengcheng.

The poor rabbit in this village doesn't poop, and can't even find half a bamboo slip, let alone sheepskin. Fan Zeng had to tear the sleeves of the robe and wrote a desperate letter to Xiang Yu with his shaking hands. By this time, he was basically exhausted and had to dry up. He could only write a few words at a time and was entangled by the disease. His sallow face was meaningless and bloody, and the beads of sweat were mixed with huge pain.

He hoped to see Xiang Yu before he died and return to the mountains and rivers of Chu. However, this seemed unlikely. A letter was written for two days before he finished it. He had just entered Pengcheng and had not yet dismounted, and a generation of wise saint closed his eyes forever. When he was dying, he still held the unfinished long letter.

When Lu Chen, the son of Lu Qing, a general of Western Chu who was stationed in Pengcheng, heard that Ya's father Fan Zeng died at the gate of the city, he hurriedly led a group of doctors to run over. The man was dead long ago and there was no question of rescue. He was carried directly to the royal palace to wait for burial, while delivering a letter to Xiang Yu. He also sent the letter written by Fan Zeng to Xiang Yu.

Xiang Yu would attack the city every three or five days these days, but the city defense of Xingyang City became stronger and stronger. After attacking several times, he did not make any progress except for losing troops and losing generals.

Lu Chen's envoy was taken into the tent of the commander and fell to the ground to report; "The king, Yafu Fan Zeng, died of illness in Pengcheng four days ago, and here is a letter from Yafu."

Xiang Yu felt like he was struck by lightning. He woke up for a long time. His hands trembled and he suddenly grabbed the letter. When he saw it, he was heartbroken and cried loudly!

......Chu sky is vast, Chu land is vast, Chu mountains are green, Chu river is sweeping. Wutong Lane, walking out of a hero like the Overlord is the pride of the Great Chu. King, you have super strong arms and a great force against a thousand pounds—

The old minister was a Chu man and wished he could plant the Chu flag on the land of Guanzhong—

However, I was old and weak, and could no longer follow the overlord, and could not see the Great Chu unification of the world with my own eyes.

Mencius said: "If you don't use wise men, you will perish!" There are many wise men in the Western Chu camp. I hope the king will eliminate suspicion and confusion, and I will respect him, believe him, and use him. This is the last sentence of the old minister before his death. Kowtow and please accept advice.

If there is a spirit after death, the old minister would like to bless the king to defeat the violent Qin, unify the world, and inspire the divine power of Western Chu!

Fan Zeng’s last writing! (To be continued)
Chapter completed!